Stbaight iuitb- wib



Fig. 3 is a view inl perspective of the STATES PATENT OTTTCE.

HAZEL BURTQN B Usn, 4oF REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA. i

` f STRAIGHT LINE-WIRE cLAMrroR. STETGHI'NG WIRES. "l

To all 'whoma't may concern."

' Be it known that I, HAZEL BURTON BUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Redlands, inthe county of San Bernardino andState of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Straight LinefWire4 @lamps for Stretching Wires, of which'the following is a specification. "Q'My invention relates to ya wire clamp and morejp'articularly to, a straight line wire `clamp 'adapted for Astretching wires on telephone, telegraph and especially heavy electric lines.

is a well known fact that sharp bends or'fneksjinwires' caused byl the'clamps now usehave a tendency 'to' .weaken them, so that when astretching forc's 'applied the vbreak at the lpo'int where theclamp yiis' usedi obj'ect; of my invention is to 'produce a clamp which will grip'and hold securely, fwithoutl injury, either solid or' 'stranded Y"' res""'of lare or small 'diameter 'with or i without ation.

Anotherfobject is toprovide a quick act- ,ingclamp which'may rvbe applied to soft `aluniinuinwiresf or heavy, stranded, copv'peninsulated wires without injury to them. ""fAnotherobj'ect of my invention is to proivide a clamp-of the character described that readily be applied to the'f'wire and as readily can be 'released from' it.

With'these and' other objectsinview my invention 'consists in the construction and combination; ofI parts hereinafter described land` claimed;`

In the'a'ccompanyi'ng drawings which form a part of thisspecification,

' f Figure 1` illustrates the applicationof my "Wire clamp to al wire of an electric light line. `FigLQ2`is a view'in side elevation of a wirey clamp embdyilg the principles of my invention.

Wire clamp y'shown in FigzQ.

' Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view on'the line 1 4 0f Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing one of the gripping plates of the upper jaw, as seenlooking in the direction indicated by arrow v5 in Fig.-3.-

*f Fig. '1 illustrates an electric light line 'having poles 10 with cross arms 11 upon which are fixed insulators to which wires *13' are attached.

Theclamp is vforined'ofanupper jaw'14 Speccationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4,' 1919.

Application led November 4; 1918. Serial No. 261,094.

'their' upperedges zeut awayV to; form'. '1a hook l.er at one; end anda" homa aft the other.

li A:fare IIriolintednear its ends blaffheerrpig flanges'. een-Spangen 'aafaa surround -the'epigt-pin 2g between 'the l'jaw plates` 18 fand 19'. and ,the iipper ends '75 v"of the "16 fand, 17 and have, their 'iin'ier `ends-'lixed inf'fthefj'aw plates, 'whiletheir louter. ends '30 and31 hookedaroundthe edge `of 'the 'pivot bars 16 'and 1T respectively.

'two' award .theghookem -Iof the 'gup- Aplates! 325, gripping plates, f fixed' Ito "the 4flanges by rivets 33, there'being athck layer of felt 34 or other yieldingmaterial heldbej tween the flanges and the plates'. lTherivets '33 extend through theflanges, the felt vlayer,

and the gripping'platesiarid' are'fso spaced as to pass lthrough Athe' f'lon'gitudinal centers of the gripping plates, thus holding .them4 embedded-in the felt in' such a mannerl -that a slight longitudinal `rocking/action i offlthe plates onthe rivet heads is'p'ermitted' lso'that ingripping a wire the plates readily adjust themselves to it.' The holes `inthe gripping plates are somewhat enlarged to` provide for this rocking action y Y The lower jaw 'is formed/'of two plates 35 and 36 similar to the upper jaw,'but different in form. It is 'also yprovided with gripping anges'37 and'38 whichcoperlate with the `lla'ngesl'fof the upper4V ]aw.'V

These flanges are faced with therrnoid brake facingI 39 or a similar exible material 'riveted to the flanges 37 and 38. The ends 'of these plates adjacentthe hooked end of the upper j aw have an elongated -hole A0 c'ut v pin 43 extending through the middle of its plates parallel to pivot pin 27 andco-eXtensive with it. An extension lug 44 is 'formed on the lower end of link 17 and is provided with a hole 45 into which a rope or line may be inserted and tied. The upper edge of link 17 is cut away to form a slot 46, they width of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the pivot pin, so 'that thelink may be swung on the upper pivot away from therlower pivot inthe direction indicated hy lthe arrow a into the position shown. by the dotted lines; 47, A small tooth 48 is formed on the" edge of link '1'2'A close to. the slot 4 6 and .is adapted to engage'with a retaining grooveggormed ,in the -upper side ofange `22Uffthe upper jaw. V Operatiin' *In adjusting theclamptoi'a ligviije, is l'grasped by'fthe Vlug" 44 'y and swungklin .the ('iyirfectionI indicated i by arrow Aa; intol the position 'indicated ,by .the dotted lines 17, "the tODh 48',eng2g1ig.with`..S1eb-49 1-Q .had a maar posaion. gn iepperae isiihen swung. .onine .pivote-...fin the. .direqtionI indicated by,@arrow` `which lpulls the .fiers-apart WhereupOthewre-is srted between them.` The' uppe'rjawis thenfreleased and coil ispring -29acti-ngon the link .116, cllamps .itdown onthe .wire AT17. is .then disengaged the yupper jaw ange and yswung downwardly into its normal posii. 11,-.S10.t;46 .engaging with the'rvetrn' (and ...coil ,.spring I28 xzoperating, with; coil Spring 29.40 @lese the jaws?. Upon-applying .the pulling V:foro e, it is evident r'that the `gpull, .exerted on .the 'lowerj aw andthe fric- .ftionjbetween thefgripping plates the 11pfper .jaw rand Y thefwire will have al :tendency to move the twofjaws lin'opposite directions and rto bring the links more nearly Vinto a horizontal position, `thus clamping the jaws tighter together, so that the harder .the .pull

son lthe lower jaw .the Ltighter'.the clamp, :as Vva r' whole, grips the rwire. As fformerly-explained, the individual :gripping rplates attached to ,the upper jaw .are free -r-to rock .slightly labout :their longitudinal lcenter. They will, therefore,.adjust themselves .to ythe wire `@and there will -be-a uniform ,pres- -Asure -upon -thewire throughoutthelengthof -the jawwithout any tendency .to Abend for nick the wire.

In ca'se the clamp -i's out-otreach .of vthe hand and it -isY desired 4to `.move .it-or disengage it lStrom-the wire afropemay he thrown over -thehook224or horn '-25 land by this meansfthe'clamp may-befleosened and pulled vntofreaeh. y V f 'While I have-'shown the preferred 'con- "struction'of my wire ciamp, 'as now-known y-t'o me` will Ibe#understood thatfvarious changes fm construct/iemand arrangement of' `-for-ceto said lowergjaw-ia.

.parts may -be made. 'bythose skilled .in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

l. A straight line .wire clamp for stretching wire comprising,`an'upper jaw provided with yieldable wire pulling gripping plates,

-a-"lower jaw provided with a flexible wire plates, a lower. Jaw having gripping: flanges equipped with awflexible facing adapted to copem.. with .said yieldable. slipping .plates ofsaidhpperjaw, OPPOSite linkfslipyotally attached to the middle o'f saijdgilpper fend douaniers. S0 ,as .L0 .held them' inido- Opemtive relation to Leach.. other; .springs @90 ponnected-tpn'said i upper iik-W and said springs .acting to hold `said upper. and low-er .jaws iin .gripping .contactC with-each .other, and means :tor attachinggthelpulling A Munir". i', 95 `clahiporstretll -ingfwrel-Comrl'isina'an erpriawilmember having a hook formed yoljlqine l,and alid, hornon .the other, `said hookay dhorn .being formed `gintegral` with saidgjfaw member; s .gripping .fflanges .formed integral with .said upper jaw .-memher; rplates jyieldably .ixedto vsaid gripping...lianges 1.a ,lower jaw member havingaftie banformed .onone end; flanges formedintegralzwith r05 said lower ,jawmemher, ...said .lower jaw. flanges beingequipped with a iexible .facing .indented -tO operate-f with... the`-fg1ippng flplates -onasaid .upperjaw .o osite links pivotally attached to thef'mi e of 110 said ,upper land lower. jaw tmeinheijs;so ,as to hold them..i:n..coperative relation .to` each r.othera one off said .links-being rprovided 'with a slotted -pivotvholegso that it may he `disfengagedffrom itslower piyot and swunguip- ,115 wardly.; .coil springsfattaxshed .tosaidf upper jaw member and said links so asto .hold Isaid .upper and lower jaws into gripping contact with each fothem ,andwmeans I.for vholding/the disengagedendofsaid linkfout -.12

of contact with its lower ,pivot rwhile the wire 'isbeing inserted Ebetween said jaws or removed from them. v

`4. Astra-ight line -wire clamp forstretching wire comprising, 'a yieldable `upperfjaw f12 equipped with i a lstraight longitudinal gripl'ping zliace, .a flexible lower jaw .equip d lwith ,a sti-aightr longitudinal gripping .f ace adapted to coperate with thegripping of fsad :upper jjaw,f s 1g 1i .1 1,p,v Qcontrolled [links :113

; ISL A straightflinewire for yieldably holding said upper and lower jaws in coperative relation to each other, and means for attaching a pulling force to said lower jaw.

5. A straight line wire clamp for stretching wire comprising, an upper jaw having straight longitudinal gripping fianges formed integral therewith, gripping plates yieldably fixed to said gripping flanges, a lower jaw having straight longitudinal gripping Hanges formed integral therewith and adapted to coperate with the longitudinal flanges of said upper jaw, spring controlled connecting links pivotally attached to opposite sides of said upper and lower jaws so as to hold them in cooperative relation to each other, and means for attaching the pulling force to the lower jaw.

6. A straight line wire clamp for stretching wire comprising, an elongated upper jaw plate having a hook formed at one end and a horn at the other, straight longitudinal gripping fianges formed integral with said upper jaw plate, gripping plates yield- `ably fixed to the gripping flanges of said upper jaw plate, Kan elongated lower jaw plateJ equipped with a tie bar for attaching the pulling force, straight longitudinal gripping flanges formed integral with said lower jaw plate said gripping flanges being equipped with a flexible facing adapted to cooperate with the gripping plates of' said upper jaw, connecting links pivotally attached to opposite sides of said upper and lower jaws so as to hold them in coperative relation to each other one of said links having a slotted pivot hole in one end, springs attached to'said upper jaw and said links so as to hold said upper and lower jaws into gripping contact with each other, and means for holding the slotted end of said connecting link out of contact with its pivot when a wire is being inserted between said jaws or remo-ved `from them.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HAZEL BURTON BUSH.

Copie: of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents', Washington, D. 0. 

